Modern humans are contacted by an alien culture that is profoundly more technologically advanced than ours. They can move matter solid in our experienced dimensions faster than light at will. They have an infinite power source and the ability to manufacture infinite amounts of materials in our three dimensions as easily as we'd bake a cake. Gravity? Yeah, they're the experts. In short, basically as gods to us.

And they get all googly eyed at some fringe religious cult, proclaiming them as the purveyors of the way we can attain the same level of expertise as they've attained.

And I'd have to admit that I've spent a long time and a lot of mental energy nursing the completely wrong idea. Before I did that though, I'd sell myself on the idea that they were actually some kids out who were out joyriding and decided to rile things up in the monkey cage. Because, you know, if I had access to that kind of technology I'd do the same thing at least once.